No matter the outcome of the special election for the East Bay's 18th Assembly District seat, one thing is now guaranteed. A woman of color is set to represent Alameda, San Leandro, and a portion of Oakland in the California Legislature come September.
The winner will bring the number of female Bay Area state lawmakers up to five, as the rest of the 23 legislative seats that circle the region are held by men.
And should social justice attorney Janani Ramachandran be elected, she will be the first LGBTQ state legislator from the East Bay.
Ramachandran, 29, would also be the first legislator who identifies as queer and first out API female state legislator. Of South Indian ancestry, she would also be California's first South Asian